What if it wasn't a dream?
by Lillyin Grace McCannon Snape
Summary: A first year Slytherin has a dream that may or may not be what really happens in the future. Severus Snape, Lily Evans, and the Marauders must decide if it is... SPOILERS FOR DH, HBP, And OTP. JKR owns Harry Potter sadly. completely cannon; except that little fact that cannon is a dream...
1. Chapter 1

What If...?

Severus Snape knew he had only a few moments more to tell Potter. He couldn't do a description long enough to do the tale justice.

"Take... It... Take... It!" He cried as well as he could. Forcing the memories out through his pain filled limbs.

The boy (Severus could never call him a man, he would always be the Potter's boy.) collected the memories.

"Look... At... Me!" Darkness clouded Severus' vision and the thing he wanted to see last was Potters green eyes, Lily's eyes. 'I hope you forgive me.' He thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Awakening

Severus felt the soft blanket covering his head. He was curled up around a book. Opening his eyes he saw the green and silver bed hangings around his bed and the small book he had fallen asleep reading.

'This can't be real.' Severus thought. 'I must be dreaming! I'm mortally wounded and having a highly realistic hallucination.'

Sone of the others people in the room stirred, rustling the covers. Severus sat up. The dream he had just awakened from, or fallen into, was crystal clear. Like living in real life.

He pulled the curtains away from the bed, revealing the dormitory that was so familiar, and yet so new. Jumping out of bed he pulled his school robes on before hurrying to the Great Hall for breakfast.

'Lily, I have to tell Lily.' He thought. Hardly anyone was up yet but breakfast was already lain out for those who were.

Severus grabbed a plate and loaded it with toast and fruit, a luxury he had never stopped appreciating after he had begun Hogwarts. Confused by memories of the dream (or was this the dream?) he started eating.

He closed his eyes. Enjoying the taste of fresh berries. A taste that, before Hogwarts, he had only had once. His mother had gotten him some for Easter when he was 6.

"Severus!" Lily had entered the Hall. She smiled and waved at him. As always his heart leapt, but this time his mind thought that she was the prettiest girl he'd ever meet, or have as a friend

He waved back, ignoring the glares from other Gryffindors and Slytherins.  
After he was done eating he approached the table where Lily was sitting. "I need to tell you something." He said. "Do you think you could get those people we met on the train to meet you after classes? I need to tell to them it too."

"Those two? Why would you need to tell them?"

"It's complicated. Can you? Please?" 'I'm begging Lily to get James Potter so I can talk to him, I thought I'd never do such a thing.'

"Sure. I can ask..." She rolled her eyes. "They might not come though. Not that it matters to me. They're menaces."

"Thank you Lily."

"See you in class Sev."

A/N  
_I changed this chapter because Eileen Snape can't have been dead otherwise Lily wouldn't have asked before they came to Hogwarts if his mother and father were fighting. And this is supposed to be cannon up to the point of Lily, the Marauders, and Sev's first day at Hogwarts. Eileen died when Severus was 16, not_ 7\. _Eileen Snape died in a car crash. The car was 'wrapped around a tree, with my mother, Eileen, and Tiberius, my younger brother, inside.' Eileen had been sleep deprived for two weeks before the accident. She fell asleep at the wheel. Severus has hated all cars ever sense._

_This isn't a back-in-time or Severus survives fiction. This is a Sev-sees-the-future-and-the-marauders-are-convinced-to-be-nice fiction._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Severus was excited for his first day of classes. In the dream (or was it in his memory and this the dream?) his first classes had been the best of the whole year. A very tired and slightly grumpy Professor Slughorn handed Sev his schedule. It was the same as in his dream. Potions with Gryffindor after lunch, Astronomy (which was at midnight) and Herbology in this morning. (Lillyin {the author}: And much more that didn't need to be mentioned as they are not important in this story.)

He went back to the dormitory and collected the books, gloves, and other objects necessary for his classes.

Herbology was just as interesting as he had hoped as were all the other classes he had that day. Potions went even better than any other class. Lily had sat by him and they had worked side by side. Carefully adding ingredients and following the instructions of their books.

Professor Slughorn was extremely pleased with their work and they each earned 50 points for their houses.

Even Potter, Black, and Lupin seemed pleased with the lesson.

After the daytime classes every one was told to enjoy the afternoon. And, if they could, sleep in preparation for the midnight class.

Lily had told Severus to meet the Gryffindors inside the entrance hall so they could talk.

When Sev arrived he found that they (James, Sirius, and Remus) were all giggling. No doubt over a joke that James had made.

"Hello." Sev said, walking towards the four Gryffindors.

"What's he doing here?" Sirius scowled at Severus. "I thought-"

"That I had other friends?" Lily's eyes blazed with fury. "You. Thought. Wrong!" She jabbed a finger into his chest knocking him back.

"Hey! Calm down." James came between the two as he said this and faced Sirius. "She told us he was coming to talk to us!"

"Must have missed that part." Sirius said, shamefaced.

"I think we might want a nice place to sit." Severus said trying to get them on the right topic. "It's a really, really, long story."

They went outside, settling under the tree where - IT had happened in the dream(memory?). And Sev began to talk, starting from the beginning, his first year at Hogwarts from the dream.

The breeze tugged at their hair as they listened to his story.

It was almost four-thirty in the afternoon when Severus finished his tale. Lily, James Remus and Sirius were all lost in thought. Sev was crying openly. Unashamed at the tears for the first time in a really long time. It isn't real. He told himself, but he wasn't sure what he was saying wasn't real; this or the "dream".

"I died... Because I bullied you? And Sirius went to Askaban because you and Professor Dumbledore thought he was our" James glanced a Lily, "secret Keeper?"

"Yes." Severus said, feeling his conscience tug at him making him ashamed that he had liked the guilty look James had given Lily.

"My son goes through that?" Lily whispered.

"I ALMOST KILLED YOU!" Remus yelled. "Black I'm never trusting you with the key to my... Shack."

A few older students looked at him like he was crazy.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't take it if you begged me to!"

"Do you think it will have to be that way?" James said softly.

"I don't know." Sev answered truthfully. "I truly don't know if this-" He gestured around them. "Is even real."

"We should ask Professor Dmbledore." Sirius said after a few moments of silence.

"I was going to do that after dinner." Severus told them. "I want to tell him everything." He looked down at the grass. "Even things I haven't told you..."

"You haven't told us everything?!" Sirius, Remus and James all had different mixtures of astonishment, confusion, and curiosity.

"I - I didn't want - I wanted to tell Dumbledore first-" He stuttered.

"Severus Snape tell me NOW!" Lily yelled at him.

"My father... Doesn't just yell at me." Sev felt his face go hot with rage. "He- he hits me sometimes. When he's drunk." Sev spat the word with contempt so violent it should have withered all the grass in fifty miles of where he sat.

"Why didn't you say-" Lily started. Then she stopped, her intelligent brain immediately went to the memory of last Christmas when Sev had come late to Christmas dinner with a bruise forming on his face. At the time he had claimed it had been from slipping on some ice but now, looking back, she knew what had really made it.

"What?" James said. "Your dad hurts you?"

"We can't all have perfect, loving, fathers." Severus's lip curled into a hateful sneer that made all four of the others to look away.

"I know." It was Sirius who spoke. "My mum treats me like a dog." He smiled slightly, "No pun intended."

"My father treats me like a pile of dung." Severus told them, some of his anger dying.

They sat in silence for a long moment.  
"We had better get inside for dinner." Remus suggested after while.

Everyone agreed instantly. They were all very hungry; talking about the serious subject of the future (and the way Sev was treated) was hard work.

They headed back to the castle, together.

A/N

_I __loved writing this one!_

_Dumbledore, confusion, and lots of craziness in the next chapter!_

_I promise!_

_No really, I'm not kidding!_

_Oh, fine if you don't believe me..._

_I WONT UPDATE IT ANYTIME SOON!_

_I'm sooooooo evil!_

_Oh, and reviews are nice! And I may update faster- if I get some great ideas from you awesome people in my reviews!_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sev decided to talk to Professor Dumbledore as soon as he left dinner. He watched Bellatrix and Lucius while he ate.

Lucius, he noticed, snuck looks at the Slytherin Head Girl. She was a very pretty woman, although she had the look of someone who was playing with thoughts of evil.

Bellatrix was toying with the mashed potatoes and peas on her plate. "Bellatrix,always playing with her food before she eats it." Dumbledore had said, before...

Severus shook his head, clearing it of the terrible and terrifying recollection. He glanced up at the staff table to reassure himself that Dumbledore was there! Not buried in a marble tomb.

He returned his attention to his food, memories of the dream only confused him, further. It had seemed so real, was it the future? Or was it not? Had he done those things? Killed Albus Dumbledore? Or was it all imagined?

Dinner never seemed to end. Finally, after eating a helping of custard tart, the Headmaster left the staff table. Severus quickly abandoned his empty plate and walked out of the Great Hall, catching sight of Dumbledore heading down the corridor which led to his office.

"Professor Dumbledore!" The tall man turned as Sev ran to catch up.

"Yes?"

As Severus stared into the knowing and piercing eyes of Albus Dumbledore the nagging feeling that had haunted him all day was quadrupled.

'I killed him. I know it. This is a dream. No one here is real.'

"My boy you look ill." Dumbledore said, worry was in those eyes. "What is troubling you?"

"I-" Sev felt an icy chill crawl up his spine. "I wanted to talk to you." Then remembering how annoying it had been in the dream when students forgot to say it he hastily tacked on; "Sir."

"I assume you would like to come to my office? You seem like you would to want it to remain between the two of us, am I correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Then by all means let us go."

The two of them walked to the headmastersoffice, Severus avoided making eye contact.

Once safely inside the office Sev was afraid to start talking.  
"Well?" Dumbledore asked expectantly, sitting behind the desk.

"I had a dream last night." Sev began. "However it wasn't like a normal dream. It felt too real to be just a dream-" Sev suddenly had an idea. "Professor could we watch it in your Pensive? So I don't have to explain as much."

"How did you know about the Pensive?" Dumbledore leaned forward a confused look on his face.

"The dream."

"I suppose it would be easier for me to believe if we saw it. Do you know where..?"

Sev pointed at the cabinet that hid the Pensive.

"Remarkable." Dumbledore whispered. He took the Pensive out of it's case and set it on the desk.

Dumbledore helped Sev remove the memory and then he placed it into the silver bowl.

They both leaned in.

Hours later they emerged, Sev shaking with shock of seeing himself in all those terrible situations, especially the last few.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful and a little worried.  
"Sit down Severus. You look like you are about to faint."  
Sev sat.

"From what I saw, and how you described what it felt like, I believe you may have had a Dream Prophesy. The Prince line does have many true Seers in it." Dumbledore said, placing the memory in a glass vial, and moving back to his desk.

"A Dream Prophesy?" Sev said horrified. "But that means I will actually do all of that? Kill you, betray Lily, and possibly die, before anyone knows the truth?"

"No my boy. It simply was showing you a possible path. You have already changed it. By telling me-"

"And Lily."

"Yes. You already have changed the future. No prophesy is true, unless it is fulfilled by one who is involved in it. I would say you will have a better future just because you told others what it might have been."

"Are you sure?" It was a slightly childish question, but Sev needed the reassurance.

"Unless you want your future to be that way." Dumbledore answered. "I am very sure, however, that you do not want that. Am I right?"

"Yes."

Dumbledore smiled. "Now off to bed. We have been here well past five hours, and it is time for you to be back to your common room."

A/N

Okay! That was refreshing! Now I need to write the next chapter!

So, to those who might have wondered, Sev will not be replacing Peter in the Marauders. But Sev will be very changed from the Severus Snape, bat of the dungeons, loner, and Neville's boggart, of the true books. All because of a tiny change between him and James at the beginning, he will become Severus Snape, a Potions Master, with a loving wife and family, and fiercely loyal to his friends.

I find it touching, but then again, whenever I hear 'Always' I smile...

I'm a true fan of Severus Snape.


End file.
